Zumba Sentao with Beto Perez: We Tried It!

Anybody who knows me knows that I love Zumba Fitness®. Like, I'm obsesssed with Zumba classes. I love Zumba for two reasons: I love to dance, and I hate to feel like I'm working out.

So when I had the opportunity to attend a new Zumba master class at a Crunch gym in Manhattan with Beto Perez, the creator and co-founder of Zumba Fitness®, I didn't think about it for a minute: Of course I was going!

The class I was able to take is part of a new launch of Zumba Fitness® classes called Zumba sentao™. The class, which launches at Crunch gyms next week on Feb. 8, is like a traditional Zumba class—but with a twist. While the class included many of the same Latin-infused aerobic moves that Zumba is famous for, it also included a chair as a prop.

"The Zumba Sentao™ workout takes the the fitness party and partners it with explosive, chair-based choreography to strengthen, balance, and stabilize your core, and step up your cardio workout in a whole new way," Perez says. "This is a great option for first-time Zumba students, because the program combines dance and fitness with traditional moves like squats, lunges, and crunches."

I had never used props during a Zumba class, and it was slightly difficult to get used to the chair being everywhere I turned (I bumped into people once or twice), but once I got into the rhythm of things, it was a lot of fun, and I was drenched in sweat by the time we started the cooldown. This might just be my new favorite workout!

If you're looking for an effective total-body toning workout, but don't have a lot of time (and don't want to feel like you're exercising) I'd definitely encourage you to try a Zumba Sentao™ class.

Starting next week, the class will be available at Crunch gyms in New York. It's also available in "Exhilarate," Zumba's seven-disc DVD collection (you can purchase the DVD set at Zumba.com). The class will launch worldwide this summer.